The Avengers: Endgame
by Red Justice
Summary: The Avengers haven't had to deal with trouble for months, but an attack on the Raft is about to change all that... Featuring the current, main Avengers roster.
1. The Raft

**And here's my latest story! As usual, I own nothing except for the plot. Hope you enjoy!**

**Endgame: Chapter 1**

Bumbum. Bumbum. Bumbum.

Quicksilver's heart raced at a speed faster than thought as he ran. He had to get to the Avengers. He had to warn them.

His feet skimmed over the water below, moving so quickly that the solidity of it didn't matter. He should be there by now, blast it. If he hadn't been so badly injured, this would be over with already. If only he could move faster, just a second faster...

"Quicksilver,"

Suddenly, a blast of energy hit the speedster from behind, knocking him flying into the water. Immediately, he tried to swim back to the surface, but another blast knocked him further down, followed by two more. Eventually, the mutant hero could do nothing but sink into the deep blackness of unconsciousness. If only he could warn them...

**Avengers Tower**

"I don't like it," Captain America paced back and forth through Avengers tower's meeting room, voicing his concerns aloud. His mask was off, revealing his all-too human face, and his shield was slung over his back. Behind him, at a long, rectangular table, sat the other Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Red Hulk, Noh-Varr, The Vision, Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, and Quake.

"What's not to like, Cap?" Hawkeye asked, examining one of his famous trick arrows. "We haven't had any trouble for months. A.I.M.'s down, Osborn's a mess, and all the other crooks are staying underground. We're on top, for once."

"That's the problem, Hawkeye," Captain America replied, still pacing. "We're never on top, not for this long. Something's not right."

"Rogers is right," Red Hulk spoke up, causing all the Avengers to turn towards him. His giant, 7 foot body barely fit in the chair that he was sitting in (after all, it was designed for a human) but he didn't seem to care. "There's got to be some kind of plan going if our enemies are this quiet. It's classic battlefield strategy: Hold back your forces for the big battle."

"Hm," Vision pondered quietly. "You seem to have an intelligent side that you haven't told us of, Hulk. I see no flaw in your logic."

"By my troth!" Thor stood up, hammer in hand. "Surely our foes would never dare attack us now, when our forces are strongest! They would fall before us like mere dwarves!"

_**Alert! Alert! **_

Before anyone else could speak up, the tower turned red, with alarms sounding off everywhere. Immediately, the Avengers jumped from their seats, ready for battle.

"You just had to mention trouble, didn't you Cap?" Hawkeye asked, sliding his purple sunglasses over his eyes and grabbing his bow.

"Tony, what's the situation?" Cap turned to Iron Man, ignoring Hawkeye's question.

"Seems like we've got an attack on the Raft," Iron Man answered, his helmet sliding over his face. "And everyone's favourite warden wants our help."

"U.S. Agent is asking for help?" Cap asked, heading for the door. "Times sure do change."

Without another word, the team ran to the top of the tower, where two Quinjets awaited. "Alright, let's do this in teams," Cap ordered. "Thor, Quake, and Iron Man, you're with me. Hulk, you take Vision, Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, and Protector. The Raft's fallen too many times these past few years. I'm not about to let if fall again."

With that, they were off, both teams grabbing their own Quinjet.

"Cap, you want to drive?" Iron Man asked, stepping into the first Quinjet. "I've got some diagnostics to run as we fly."

"Sure thing," Cap answered, sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle. "It's been a while since I've had the chance to fly one of these."

"So, Iron Man," Quake started, sitting in the back of the Quinjet. "What exactly are we going to be facing here?"

"According to the report, the assailant is one Crusher Creel, a.k.a. Absorbing Man." Iron Man answered as the Quinjet took off. "The Avengers have fought him a few times before, he's a pretty tough one. Last seen with the one of the hammers of the Serpent, during the recent Norse attack. Possible accomplices: Titania, Whirlwind, the Wrecking Crew, Klaw, and Grey Gargoyle.

"I know well of these fiends," Thor commented, standing behind Iron Man. "Crusher Creel is a dangerous foe indeed, as are yon others. We would do well to exercise caution against them."

"Thor's right," Cap said. "If those are the villains we're going to end up facing, we're going to have a hard time. They've all been part of the Masters of Evil at one point, and they're all extremely dangerous."

"Right," Quake replied. "I'll be sure to -"

Suddenly, the Quinjet shook violently, knocking over all the Avengers except for Cap, who was strapped into his seat.

"What was that?" Iron Man asked, making his way to a standing position.

"That would be our suspects," Cap replied, not moving from his seat as he pointed at the island below. "Some of them, at least. Thor, Tony, your move."

"They shall feel mine hammer!" Thor yelled, flying out the back hatch that Cap had just opened.

"I'll try to make sure he doesn't kill someone," Iron Man promised, activating his boot jets and flying after him.

Even though they were under attack, Cap couldn't help but smile. The Avengers were back in action.

**And in the other Quinjet...**

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

Inwardly groaning, Red Hulk pretended not to have heard Hawkeye's complaint. Why were half of these people idiots?

"Because you're a pessimist?" Spider-Woman replied. "Come on, it'll be fine. Weren't you the one who said that we had nothing to worry about just a few minutes ago?"

"Well, yeah," Hawkeye admitted. "But that's different. We weren't heading into combat then."

"Your feelings of anxiety are probably just generated by nerves," Vision said from the driver's seat of the Quinjet. "It should be nothing to worry about."

"Thanks for the support, Vis." Hawkeye replied, leaning back in his seat. "By the way, are we at the Raft yet?"

"Almost," The android replied. "Hold on. We seem to be getting a call from Captain America."

With a push of a button, the Captain's image appeared among the Avengers, albeit in blue, holographic form.

"Team, we've got some news. My squad's Quinjet has been attacked, we're thinking by Klaw. Thor and Iron Man are going to deal with it now, but he's not the only one we're going to have to deal with. There have been reports of Absorbing Man, Titania, Grey Gargoyle, Whirlwind, and the Wrecking Crew. If that's true, we're going to have our hands full. Be careful out there."

"Will do, Captain," Vision replied. "Thank you for the update."

With that, Cap's image flickered out, leaving the Avengers to ponder his words.

"Sounds like a Masters of Evil lineup," Red Hulk said, turning to Hawkeye for confirmation. "That right?"

"Pretty much," Hawkeye answered with a nod. "They were all Masters of Evil at one point, most of them at the same time."

"Masters of Evil?" Protector asked. "I don't believe that I've heard of them."

"They are, simply put, the anti-Avengers," Vision informed. "Originally formed by the World War Two version of Baron Zemo, they have been fighting the Avengers longer than either Hawkeye or I have been on the team. There is no reliable roster for the team, as they have changed their members many times. I do not believe that they have worked together for quite some time now, though this event may indicate a change."

"Enough chatter," Red Hulk broke in, looking out the window. "We're here."

The scene below was the definition of chaos. The Raft had been totally demolished: The building was on fire and barely standing, unconscious guards were lying all over the place, and in the middle of it all were the Absorbing Man, the Wrecking Crew, and Grey Gargoyle.

"Well, looks like we've got our culprits right there," Hawkeye said, grabbing his bow and standing up. "Ready when you are, Vis."

"I am commencing the landing process as we speak," The Vision replied.

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" Spider-Woman asked, also standing up.

"Glad you're seeing things my way," Hawkeye responded. "I think we've got this one, though. After all, they've only got four villains with the power of a god, a guy who can become anything he touches, and someone who can turn you into stone with a touch. Piece of cake, right?"

Before anyone could reply, the Quinjet landed with a clunk, and the side door opened.

"We have arrived." Vision announced, standing to join the others.

Without a word, the Avengers filed out, preparing themselves for battle as their feet touched ground. Their enemies' had noticed their presence as soon as they had landed, and were waiting for them when they got out.

"Well, if it ain't the Avengers," Absorbing Man said, swinging his ball and chain. "You guys sure do like changing your roster, don't ya?"

"What are you doing here, Creel?" Vision asked, floating through the side of the Quinjet. "You should've known that any attempt at a breakout would be stopped by us."

"The Vision?" The Wrecker butted in. "I thought you were dead!"

"Come on, Wrecker," Hawkeye teased. "Nobody stays dead anymore, not even androids."

"You'll all be dead once we're done with you," Thunderball, said. "We've got our orders."

"Idiot!" Grey Gargoyle yelled. "We were not supposed to tell them our reason for being here!"

"So, you've got an employer?" Red Hulk asked, cracking his knuckles. "Great. We'll find out who it is when we finish mopping the floor with you."

**That's it for now! If you have the time, please review, as there's nothing I appreciate more. Thanks for reading the first chapter!**


	2. Face Off

**Here's the next chapter! By the way, I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed and/or favourited my story. I really appreciate all the positive reception you guys have given me, it means a lot. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

**Endgame: Chapter 2  
**

Thor soared downwards, his hammer carrying him to the Raft faster than an airplane. As he came closer, the god could faintly make out the villains below, though not enough to identify them. There were three of them, and they hadn't seemed to noticed Thor's approach yet. They stood at the edge of the island, gloating at their attack on the Quinjet.

"Having fun?" Iron Man asked, catching up to Thor.

"Stark," Thor greeted. "Canst thou make out yonder criminals?"

"Sure," The armoured Avenger replied. "Those three are Klaw, Whirlwind, and Titania. No Absorbing Man, interestingly enough. Which ones do you want to take?"

"I shall disable Whirlwind and Titania," Thor answered. "They shall not be much trouble."

"Leaving me with Klaw," Iron Man observed. "Great, let's get to work."

Without another word, the two heroes dived into action, their speed increasing even further. Below them, their enemies turned upwards, finally noticing the oncoming threat.

"To battle!" Thor yelled as he slamming into the ground at full force, his impact sending Titania flying.

"Nice opener, Thunder God," Whirlwind said, whirling around like a minature tornado. "But I've got a follow-up that's even better!"

As he spoke, the villain rushed over to Thor, hitting him with the force of a truck and slashing at him with his wrist-attached saw blades as he spun. The blades broke as soon as they touched Thor's skin, but the impact of the confrontation hurt, if only slightly.

Before Thor could return fire, Whirlwind continued his assault, spinning around the god and attacking with hit-and-run tactics.

"Enough!" With a grunt, Thor threw his hammer straight into Whirlwind, smiling triumphantly as it sent him flying into the water that surrounded the island.

...

Iron Man, meanwhile, wasn't having as much of an easy time. He had tryed charging at Klaw, but his opponent's sound constructs kept him from getting far. Range attacks were no good either, as Klaw was made of pure sound, and thus had no real body to attack.

"Given up yet, hero?" Klaw asked, making a sound Gorillia come charging at the Avenger.

"Not quite," Iron Man replied, flying out of the reach of the construct. "Tell me, Klaw: Why are you even here? You don't have any need to cause a breakout."

"Nice try, but you're not getting anything out of me," Klaw responded, launching a wave of pure sound at Iron Man. "I've been at this too long to fall for something like that."

"That's what I thought," Iron Man said, tapping his internal comlink as he dodged the wave. "Quake? I could use some help here."

"Quake?" Klaw asked. "Who's Quake?"

Before he could ponder the question any further, the ground began shaking violently, disorienting the villain as he tried to keep his balance.

Not letting the advantage go to waste, Iron Man flew down towards his enemy, pulling out a small, orb-like device as he landed. With a click of a button, Klaw disappeared, his sound-constructed body sucked into the machine.

"Game over," Iron Man gloated. "Nice work on the distraction, Agent Johnson. I owe you one."

"Glad to help, Iron Man," Quake replied from the Quinjet. "How's Thor doing?"

"Oh, I think the big guy's handling himself just fine." Iron Man said, chuckling as Whirlwind flew right past him.

"Time for round two, tough guy!" Titania shouted, charging at Thor.

"Have at thee!" Thor yelled back as his hammer returned to his hand. "Feel the power of Mighty Mjolnir!"

With a shout of rage, Thor brought his hammer down on Titania, crushing her into the ground. Raising his weapon, the god brought it down again, and again, making sure that no remnant of consciousness was left inside his opponent.

"Just about done?" Iron Man asked.

"Aye," Thor answered, walking up to his friend. "Methinks they have felt enough of my power."

"All right," Iron Man replied. "Cap, we're done here. You want to go see how the others are doing?"

"Affirmative," Cap replied over the comlink. "I'll call you when I find them."

**On the other side of the island**

"Let's get 'em!"

Swinging his ball and chain, Absorbing Man began to charge, his allies following behind him.

"Here we go," Hawkeye said, drawing an exploding arrow. "I bet twenty bucks that Grey Gargoyle falls first."

"Done," Spider-Woman replied, floating off the ground. "My money's on the Wrecker."

"All right," Red Hulk started. "Pick your targets, take them down. If you think you can't handle them, don't take the risk. Let's get this done, people!"

"I have the Absorbing Man," Vision said, flying towards his enemy.

"I will take Grey Gargoyle," Protector announced.

"Great, that leaves us three with the Wrecking Crew," Hawkeye said, turning to Spider-Woman. "I'm still going to win that bet."

"Hah!" Wrecker gloated, striding towards Hawkeye. "This is gonna be easy."

Suddenly, his movement was halted by a fist. Red Hulk's fist.

"What do you know?" Spider-Woman said, watching as the Wrecker flew back into the wreckage of the Raft. "Looks like I just won."

"Fine," Hawkeye replied, aiming his explosive arrow at the rest of the Wrecking Crew. "But Gargoyle's going down next."

"They... They took down Wrecker!" Piledriver said, clearly in shock. "They can't do that!"

"There's more where that came from, punk," Red Hulk said, grabbing Piledriver and shoving his head into the ground. "Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, you take the other two! I've got this one!"

"Sounds like fun," Hawkeye joked, launching his arrow at Thunderball. "I've got ball and chain junior here, Jess. Bulldozer's all yours."

"You don't have anything, arrow boy!" Thunderball yelled, the exploding arrow barely fazing him. "I'm going to make you hurt!"

"Well that's just great," Hawkeye drew three more exploding arrows as he talked. "Do you have any idea how much these things cost?"

"Rah!" Thunderball bellowed as he swung his ball and chain. The weapon slammed into Hawkeye, almost knocking him unconsciousas he fell to the ground. "You picked the wrong villain to mess with, Avenger."

"I don't think so,"

Suddenly, Red Hulk's arms grabbed Thunderball from behind, throwing him into the nearby Bulldozer, who was in the middle of a fight with Spider-Woman.

"Hey!" Bulldozer yelled, shoving his ally off of him. "What was that?"

"It wasn't me!" Thunderball protested, pointing at Red Hulk. "He threw me at you!"

"That's right," Red Hulk said, walking towards the two. He reached them in three strides, stood in front of them for a second, then slammed their heads together, smiling as they hit the ground. "These Wrecking Crew guys are pretty weak."

"Ugh..." Hawkeye groaned, sitting up slowly. "Remind me to never underestimate Thunderball again."

"Thanks for the save, Hulk," Spider-Woman said, helping Hawkeye up. "I wonder how the others are doing?"

...

If Protector had been able to answer that question, he would have said that they were doing very well. The Grey Gargoyle, though potentially very dangerous, was no match for the alien's capabilities in the energy projection field. For five minutes, he had kept his distance from the villain, blasting at him with energy bolts when he had the chance.

"Give in, Grey Gargoyle," Protector said, launching another blast. "I have no wish to seriously injure you, but I will if it is necessary."

"I will never give in!" Grey Gargoyle screamed, buckling as the blast hit him. "I fought off the entire Avengers once, and I shall do it again!"

"Your overconfidence works against you," Noh-Varr replied calmly. "You can not withstand my attack forever."

"I can... Withstand whatever you may throw at me!" Grey Gargoyle grunted. "I will... Defeat... You..."

Without another word, the criminal sunk to the ground, the last few blasts robbing him of consciousness.

"Poor fool," Noh-Varr sighed. "Captain, I have taken care of the Grey Gargoyle and am now on my way to join the others. What is your situation?"

"We've got things in control here, Protector," Captain America replied. "I seem to be having some trouble contacting the Vision, however. Could you make sure that he's all right?"

"Will do," Protector acknowledged, taking to the skies. Why wasn't the Vision responding? It seemed unlikely that Abosrbing Man could take him down...

...

Of all of the Avengers, Vision was having the easiest time with his fight. He could have ended it straight away, if he had wanted to, but he wanted to get information first. After all, Absorbing Man wasn't the brightest of the Avengers' rogues gallery. All Vision had to do in order to face him was to stay intangible. Creel couldn't absorb what he couldn't touch.

"Come on!" Absorbing Man complained, swinging his fist at Vision. "Turn solid, so I can fight ya!"

"I see no reason to," Vision replied, floating above Creel. "Instead, I'll offer you a deal: I will let you go if you name your employer."

"Let me go?" Creel laughed. "Listen, hero: You can't let me go if you don't have me."

Without a word, Vision turned off his flight and changed his density to that of a diamond's, dropping down on the Absorbing Man like a stone. Staying in place, he put his foot on his opponent's chest, insuring that Creel would not move.

"You are correct," Vision noted. "But I seem to have you now. If you arr thinking of absorbing my density, know that I will turn intangible the moment you try to touch me. There is now way for you to win this fight, Creel. Now, your employer."

"You're good, robot," Absorbing Man said. "But the only thing I'm tellin' ya is this: We're not here to kill you. We're here to free the guy who can."

"Wha -"

Before Vision could finish, a fist hammered into him from behind, knocking him off the island and over the horizon.

"Good work, Creel," A voice rang out. "Tell your employer he has the gratitude of Count Nefaria. Now, where are the other Avengers? I have some loose ends to tie up."

**Well, that's it for this chapter! Like before, please review, it will make my day.**


	3. The Trap

**Sorry that it took so long, but here's the next chapter!**

**Endgame: Chapter 3**

"Vision?"

Protector increased his flight speed, calling out his fellow Avenger's name again. If he didn't manage to find him soon, something was definitely odd. For ten minutes now, the Vision had been unreachable through comlink, which wasn't a good sign.

Flying through a half-demolished wall of the Raft, Noh-Varr tapped his own comlink. "Hulk, do you read me? This is Protector."

"Yeah, I can hear you," Red Hulk replied. "What's going on?"

"The Captain sent me to search for the Vision," Protector replied. "It seems that he is not responding to attempts to contact him via comlink. Unfortunately, I am having little luck in my search. Could you divert your efforts to aiding me?"

"Sure, I finished with the Wrecking Crew a while ago," Rulk answered. "Hawkeye, Spider-Woman and I will get on it."

"Thank you," Protector said. "I will call you if I find anything. Protector out."

Noh-Varr frowned. It was good that he had managed to get some help, but this entire situation was far too suspicious for him to relax. Vision was one of the most powerful Avengers in history, with more experience that many other superheroes. He shouldn't have had any trouble with Absorbing Man.

"Looking for your teammate?"

"What?" Protector asked, turning around.

In front of him floated a fairly tall, middle-aged man in an orange prison outift. His hair was mostly black, with lines of white above his ears, and he had a short moustache and beard. He smiled smugly as Noh-Varr looked at him, seeming to have no concerns about facing an Avenger.

It took Protector a few seconds to recognize the man, but once he did, he almost cursed. "Count Nefaria. What have you done with the Vision?"

"Ah, so you recognize me," The Count said, glee easily recognizable in his eyes. "I can't say I recognize you, except for an Avengers press conference or two. You read about me in their files, I imagine?"

Gathering energy for a blast, Protector pointed his hands at the Count. "Let me repeat myself: What have you done with the Vision?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him," Nefaria said casually. "He's in some other state by now, probably dead. Who knows, he may just be seriously injured."

"I see. You made an error, then."

"And what would that be?"

"You should have taken him hostage. Then I would have a reason to keep you alive."

"Oh, you think you can kill me?" Nefaria laughed. "Only in your dreams, "Avenger". I've beaten Thor with my bare hands. Compared to him, you are nothing."

Suddenly, Count Nefaria held out one hand, and a blast of energy seared Protector's flesh, knocking him out immediately.

"They get more foolish each time..."

...

Captain America flew the Quinjet downwards slowly, landing it in front of Red Hulk, Hawkeye, and Spider-Woman.

"Tony, I found them," He said, opening the door and stepping out, with Quake right behind him. "The only ones missing are Protector and Vision."

"Missing?" Iron Man asked. "That's not good. Thor and I will be there as soon as possible, as long as you send me the co-ordinates."

"Already done,"Cap replied, walking up to the others. "Clint, Jessica, Hulk. Looks like you've taken care of your end of the problem."

"Ah, you know us, Cap," Hawkeye said with a smirk. "No small-time crooks are gonna get in our way."

"Says the guy who almost got knocked out by Thunderball," Spider-Woman said.

"Regardless, we've got a problem," Iron Man announced as he and Thor landed next to Cap.

"Tony's right," Cap confirmed. "Vision isn't answering comlink calls, and Noh-Varr, who I sent to get him, isn't either."

"Protector called about the Vision thing around three minutes ago," Red Hulk said. "If something is going on, whoever took out Vision probably took him out, too."

"So we're being targeted," Quake summarized. "There's no way that Absorbing Man is behind this. He doesn't have the brains or the power."

"Wrecker said something about them being hired to cause this breakout," Spider-Woman said. "Maybe their employer wants someone let loose, and it's that someone who's doing this."

"Whoever it is, they're probably somewhere in the Raft," Cap said. "I've been trying to contact U., but he's not responding either. Neither is Luke Cage, who works here as part of the Thunderbolts program."

"So what's the plan?" Hawkeye asked.

"Let's stick together," Rulk suggested. "The main problem here is that we're being taken out one by one. If we're all in the same group, it'll be way harder to stop us."

"Red is right," Iron Man said. "Strength in numbers and all that."

"All right then," Cap said, taking his shield off his back and walking towards the Raft. "Let's go."

The group walked through the Raft for several minutes, exploring the various halls and corridors, most of which were at least partially destroyed.

"This isn't good," Red Hulk said.

"What?" Hawkeye asked warily, gripping his bow.

"The cells are all empty," Rulk replied. "That means that the prisoners are all loose."

"Oh hell," Iron Man said, scanning the area around him. "Guys, we've got incomin-"

Before the armoured Avenger could finish, his armour caught fire, causing him to stumble backwards and fall, crashing through the floor and bringing the Avengers with him.

"Stark!" Red Hulk yelled, falling downwards with the rest of the team.

Seconds after, the heroes crashed into the floor, some of them creating craters with their impact. This floor was pitch black, with the only source of light barely present from the hole above.

"What was that?" Quake asked, standing shakily.

"Give me a second," Iron Man said, the flames on his suit fading. "Hm... Fire powers... Most likely the Super-Skrull."

"He's here?" Cap asked. "We're in for a fight, then."

"Earthlings," A voice called from above. "Prepare to die!"

Before anyone could react, the Super-Skrull dove down on them, blanketing the ground with fire.

"You will burn!"

"Maybe some of us will," Rulk replied, jumping up and grabbing the Skrull. "But heat's second nature to me."

"Verily!" Thor agreed, hurling his hammer at their foe.

"Fools!" Super-Skrull screamed, throwing Hulk in the way of Thor's hammer. "I have the strength of the Thing! The invisbility of Susan Richards! The flame powers of -"

"We get it, you've got the powers of the Fantastic Four," Hawkeye butted in, shooting an arrow at the wall next to the Skrull. "Which is great and all. But chump, we're the Avengers!"

Suddenly, the room erupted in sound, making the Super-Skrull cover his ears, and fall to the ground, writhing like a dying snake.

"Red, Thor, he's all yours," Hawkeye said.

Without a word, the two Avengers slammed down on their fallen foe, the resulting force equalling that of a small earthquake.

"Well, that's one inmate down," Iron Man said. "Glad I made you that special sonic arrow designed to only hurt Skrulls now, Clint?"

"Kind of," The archer admitted.

"Was this the guy who took down Vision and Protector?" Quake asked.

"I doubt it," Cap replied. "Vision maybe, but Noh-Varr's Kree. Their entire life purpose is to kill Skrulls."

"Then who-" Spider-Woman started.

"That would be me," A new voice rang out, this one from behind.

Count Nefaria flew forward, landing in the middle of the Avengers. Immediately, they all went into battle positions, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"Long time no see, Count," Iron Man said coldly. "How's prison been treating you?"

"As well as can be expected, Iron Man," Nefaria replied. "Now, which one of you wants to die first?"

"Nice try," Iron Man responded. "But there's only one of you, and seven of us. Plus, we have a Hulk this time."

"Oh, I am sure it could be a slightly annoying battle," Count Nefaria taunted. "But I'm not going to be doing all the fighting myself this time."

Right on cue, a circle of villians appeared around the Avengers, with members ranging from Tiger Shark to the Controller. All of them looked eager to take on Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

"The other inmates," Iron Man informed the others. "54 of them, to be exact."

"Blast," Captain America said, his shield in his hand. "The Super-Skrull led us into a trap. Back to back, Avengers. If we're going down, we're going down fighting."

The team obeyed, forming a small circle in the middle of the sea of criminals. From above, Count Nefaria chuckled, having made his way out of the battlefield.

"Take them," He ordered.

"Avengers Assemble!" Thor countered, swinging his hammer.

With that, it began. Villian upon villian came crashing into the Avengers, and they were met with equal force. Those who could take to the sky did, thinning out the enemies' numbers from above. The ground forces fought as hard as they could, returning blow for blow. Arrows flew, the ground shook, and several criminals were met with Captain America's mighty shield. Several villains fell to the ground before long, their numbers increasing by the minute. Eventually, though, the Avengers began to tire.

"Don't hold back!" Cap yelled, catching his shield as it bounced off the wall. "It's all or nothing!"

Beside him, Quake fell to a bolt of energy, her eyes closing as she hit the ground.

"This isn't working," Iron Man said, blasting away a charging attacker. "We need reinforcements!"

"Not much chance of us getting them, though," Hawkeye responded as he notched a new arrow.

"Agreed," Cap said. "Hawkeye, it's time for plan C."

"What?" Hawkeye asked, sending his arrow flying at the nearest enemy. "Cap, you're not serious. I can't just leave you guys here."

"You're not going to have a choice!" Cap shouted back. "We can't hold out much longer! Now go!"

Before Hawkeye could reply, the Controller slammed into Cap, knocking him out immediately. Without even thinking about it, Hawkeye launched an electrical arrow at the villain, shocking him into unconsciousness. Turning his head, Hawkeye surveyed the rest of the battle. The only Avengers left standing were him, Iron Man, Thor, and Red Hulk.

"Blast it Cap, why do you have to be right all the time?" Hawkeye complained, slinking away from the battle with the Captain on his back.

"Looks like it's only us three left," Iron Man said, looking at Thor and Rulk. "Ready to go out with a bang?"

"No other way to go out, Stark," Red Hulk replied, turning to Thor. "What about you, Thunder God?"

"This be a fine day to fall," Thor replied. "Let us show them our power, Avengers."

"Take 'em down!" Absorbing Man yelled. "I got dibs on Thor!"

"I say thee nay!" The god yelled back, raising his hammer above him.

In response to his call, several bolts of lightning flew down from the sky, filling the air with light. When the three Avengers opened their eyes, they found themselves standing in the middle of a mass of knocked out supervillians.

"Enough!" Count Nefaria shouted, anger clear in his eyes. "Since these cretins couldn't handle you, I will!"

As soon as the words were said, the Count was on them, swooping down with a punch that destroyed Iron Man's helmet completely. In defense, Thor charged in, readying his hammer for a strike, but his enemy was too fast. With the speed of a rocket, Nefaria sent hundreds of punches at the god, not ceasing until he had fallen to the ground in defeat.

"Rah!" Red Hulk roared, both his fists coming down on Nefaria.

"You think you stand a chance?" The Count asked, shrugging off Rulk's blow. "You're the only one left, Hulk. You've got no one to help you."

"That's the way I like it," Red Hulk replied, hammering at his opponent again.

"Very well," Count Nefaria said, his fists slamming into Rulk's face again and again. "Don't expect me to be merciful."

The blows continued to come, beating into Hulk until he could barely stand, and then continuing again. Rulk stumbled several times, almost falling over, but he refused to collapse.

"Collapse, damn you!" Nefaria yelled, his punches becoming more and more brutal. "Collapse!"

"Is... That all you've got?" Hulk asked, his face a mass of bruises. "I... Can take that... Anytime..."

Finally, the Hulk fell, landing at Count Nefaria's feet with a boom.

"Now, to finish you all off," Nefaria said, preparing an energy blast.

"No, Nefaria," A new voice commanded. "You must keep them alive."

"You," Nefaria snarled, turning around. "I knew there was a catch to our arrangement."

"You could say that," Another voice said. "Now, leave the Avengers alive. They are already under our total control. These ones should be more than enough to deal with the ones who escaped."

"Yes," The first voice agreed. "Total domination is at hand. All that is required is for the Avengers to live. We shall see how these remaining heroes fare against their mightiest."

**Well, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed, and please drop a review! Thanks!**


	4. Plan C

**Here's the next chapter, please enjoy!**

**Endgame: Chapter 4  
**

"_Live at Strikers Island: The Raft has been broken into!_"

The newswoman's urgent tone cut through the nearby store window, drawing nearby civilians to the tv set. They crowded around the window, their umbrellas protecting them from the downpour of rain.

"_It seems that the Avengers have been sent to deal with the situation, though we have recieved no official confirmation on this. At the moment, the Raft seems to be completely silent, which leads some to believe that the Avengers may not have won their alleged mission_."

"Lady, you don't know the half of it,"

As Hawkeye trudged past the store window, he pushed his baseball cap closer on to his head, his sunglasses helping to hide his identity. It was safer to go undercover than to parade around in costume. After all, the Avengers were being hunted.

It was dangerous, coming back to New York, but the archer had to risk it. He had a few contacts in NY, some of whom were vital for plan C. Not that Barton liked plan C, mind you. If he had had his way, they would have called in the Secret Avengers to clean up this mess. But Cap was Cap, and if he made a call, it was a good idea to follow it.

Ducking down the nearby alley, Hawkeye kept his head down until he reached the end of it. Putting one hand against the wall, he muttered a password:

"Stars and garters,"

Immediately, the wall slid away, revealing a vast, high tech lab, full of giant machinery and blueprints. The lab had several floors, all plainly visible through the transparent floors. In the middle of it all was a giant tangle of monkey bars, spiraling upwards like a DNA strand.

"Hank?" Hawkeye called, stepping further into the lab.

"Ah, Clint," A voice replied from the top of the monkey bars.

Seconds later, a blue, furry creature made its way down, jumping from bar to bar. It was dressed in an old, blue X-Men costume, with the added feature of a black toolbelt. A pair of red goggles rested upon its head, obviously just removed from its eyes.

"I was wondering when you'd make your way over for a visit," The creature continued, smiling mischeviously. "How's the big life treating you?"

"No time for jokes, Beast," Hawkeye replied, taking off his baseball cap. "The Avengers are down, Count Nefaria is on the loose, and something's gonna get done about it."

"What?" Beast asked, suddenly dead serious. "Is this part of the Raft thing on the news?"

"Pretty much," Hawkeye confirmed. "We went in half-cocked, we got tricked, and I'm pretty sure we got taken down. It was 54 of them against seven of us, Hank. I'm lucky I managed to get Cap and get out of there."

"So you're with Steve?" Beast breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. We're going to need to call in the Secret Avengers-"

"Stop," Hawkeye ordered. "That's not the plan, as much as I'd like it to be. Before he got knocked out, Cap told me to use plan C: Assemble the old Avengers. We're bringing back the old members, Hank. Most of them, at least."

"Which old Avengers?" Beast querried. "There were quite a few, if you remember."

"I would presume that there is a list," A voice rang out.

"Vision?" Hawkeye asked, turning to see his old friend come floating through the wall. "How'd you get here? I thought you went down with the others!"

"Count Nefaria foolishly knocked me out of the battlefield," Vision replied. "It turns out I am far more durable than he imagined. As soon as I landed, I began calculating possible places to turn to, and Beast's lab stood out as one of the top. That was where my ride factored in."

"Least I could do," Suddenly, Giant-Man appeared beside the others, growing from his formerly miniscule size.

"Pym, good to see you," Barton said, smiling slightly. "Let me guess: You just happened to be in the area when Vision crashed?"

"Pretty much," Giant-Man, or Hank Pym, admitted. "Now, how can we help with this plan C of yours, Clint?"

"Like Viz said, there's a list," Hawkeye replied. "Cap made me memorize it, in case something like this happened. Most of the people on it will be easy enough to recruit. Some... Well, some might be harder."

"I am sure that they will not be a problem," Vision responded. "On a side note, where is the Captain?"

"Cap's in the Lighthouse," Hawkeye answered. "I headed there as soon as I managed to escape the attack, in hope that someone would be there. There wasn't anyone there, but at least _that_ base isn't compromised."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Beast grinned. "We, my friends, have a team to assemble!"

"Great," Hawkeye said. "I'm assuming that you brought a Quinjet, Pym."

"I did," Giant-Man replied. "Let's go, Avengers!"

...

"_Just in: Staff of the Thunderbolts program, including Luke Cage and Songbird, have been found unconscious at the steps of Avengers Mansion! Several experts are saying that this signals-_"

She-Hulk turned off her television set, gazing out her apartment window worridly. First the Avengers go missing in the Raft, and now the Thunderbolts get taken down. Something was definitely not right here.

Suddenly, a knock came on the door, causing Jen to turn her head and stand up.

"Coming!" She shouted, running over to her door and opening it quickly. "Clint?"

"Hey Jen," Hawkeye greeted, lifting the sunglasses from his eyes. "How'd you like to help out some old friends?"

...

"_We are live at Avengers Mansion, where members of the main Avengers seem to be in the middle of a fight with Luke Cage's Avengers team, albeit without their leader. Strangely, Captain America, Hawkeye, and the Vision are all missing from the team, and it is believed that-_"

The Black Knight frowned, sitting back in his chair as he stared at the TV in front of him. "Stark, what are you doing?"

"An excellent question, Dane Whitman," Vision said, rising up through the floor. "One that we need your help to answer."

...

"_I repeat, Avengers Mansion has been destroyed. Luke Cage's team seems to be out of action, with Iron Man's squadron winning the day. Reasoning behind these actions is currently-_"

"Yeah, I can hear you," War Machine said, turning the tv broadcast in his armour off. "Really? And you want my help? All right, Beast, you got a deal."

Turning in midair, he marked a path to Beast's lab and took off. He had some friends to save.

...

"_The Fantastic Four have been contacted to combat the threat of the Avengers, though we have yet to recieve word of their reply. Whether this will lead to another superhuman war is yet to be seen, but longtime superhero and mutant leader Cyclops, otherwise known as Scott Summers, remains cautiously optimistic._"

"_I would hope that this situation will not reach that level,_" Cyclops said, not at all fazed by the dozens of microphones that were being shoved in his face. "_But if it does, the X-Men will stand ready_."

"So, as you can see, T'Challa, we're in a bit of trouble," Hank Pym said, conversing with his friend over a comlink as he stood in the Quinjet. In front of him, the television broadcast flickered on the monitor.

"And you want my help?" T'Challa asked. "Very well, Pym. You have the support of the Black Panther."

**30 Minutes Later, In Beast's Lab**

"No!" Vision shouted, glaring at Hawkeye. "I will not allow this!"

"Vision, I know you two have a horrible history," Hawkeye replied calmly. "I have one with her, too. But this is a serious problem, whatever it is. We need Wanda on the team."

"How do you know she won't kill us again, Barton?" Vision asked, anger flaring in his eyes.

"She doesn't have the same power level anymore," Hawkeye answered. "And, even if she did, I know she wouldn't repeat what she did before. She's got control now."

"For how long?" Vision queried, turning and smashing the table behind him. "I am not letting our murderer on this squad!"

Without a word, the Android took to the air, floating up and out of the building.

"Well, that could've gone better," War Machine said. "What's the plan now?"

"We get Wanda," Hawkeye responded. "Vision'll come back soon enough."

"Let's hope "Soon enough" is before the government starts hunting anyone who's ever been an Avenger," Black Knight said.

"Or before Nefaria beats them to it," Beast said. "Clint, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Not really," Hawkeye answered. "But that's the beauty of it, Hank. If we don't know what we're doing, our enemy won't, either. Now, let's go find an old friend."

**As usual, reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


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